Have you ever seen a MLB or college field having two first bases? Well, if you have, in 2027, try to catch a high school baseball or softball game to see the same.

High schools all around the world have had only one first base, but there have been one too many collisions with the first baseman and the batter/ runner at first. To put an end to this, the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) approved the double first base.

Another reason for the double first base is to help address running lane violations. You can tell which is the double first base because it’s usually colored orange.

The double first base will also be put right next to the original first base on the foul side. The batter/runner is required to use the colored base unless a dropped third strike occurs, which draws the fielder–usually the catcher–into foul territory to retrieve the ball. In that case, the batter/runner is to use the white base in fair territory.

Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports, calls adding the double first base “symbolic to the evolution of the sport.”

If you do manage to catch a game, when you see two first bases, don’t think you’re seeing double because it’s there!